Six first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft have already been moved in trades. There might be that many deals involving 2026 first-round picks that still could be made on or prior to April 23, when the event kicks off in Pittsburgh.
Remember, last year we saw a flurry of significant action on draft day. The Jaguars and Browns made a massive swap involving top-five picks. The Giants traded back into Round 1 for Jaxson Dart. The Falcons did the same in a controversial swap for James Pearce Jr. Even the Chiefs and Eagles flipped picks at the end of Round 1 after facing off in the Super Bowl two months prior.
Get ready for some more action this time around. We've averaged five to six deals involving first-rounders the past few years, and similar activity could be on tap next month.
So let's try to get a ahead of the curve by projecting deals that could feasibly go down in Round 1. I tried to be semi-realistic in this exercise, staying cognizant that it takes two teams to tango. Finding trade-up teams wasn't nearly as easy as trade-down teams. With each deal I conjured up, I kept asking myself: Would BOTH teams do this? It's not as easy as you think.
My first proposed deal might be the biggest stretch of the lot, but rest assured, I did my best to find trades that had purpose and relative balance for all parties. Oh, and please be sure to let me know how angry these suggestions make you.
Commanders receive:
- 2026 1st-round pick (No. 17 overall)
- 2026 6th-round pick (No. 205 overall)
- TE Sam LaPorta
Lions receive:
- 2026 1st-round pick (No. 7 overall)
- 2027 3rd-round pick
- TE Ben Sinnott
First off, I don't think LaPorta will be traded. But it wouldn't totally floor me if he was. LaPorta has been great, and losing him hurts Detroit's offense, but the big picture must be considered: LaPorta is entering the final year of his rookie deal and is coming off back surgery.
George Kittle and Trey McBride reset the TE market last offseason with extensions that pay them each $19 million-plus per year, and that's before any extension has been struck for Atlanta's Kyle Pitts. Can the Lions afford to pay LaPorta close to that level? Remember, they also must pay RB Jahmyr Gibbs (two years left on his rookie contract, including a fifth-year option), LB Jack Campbell (on the same timeline as Gibbs) and S Brian Branch (one year left).
Branch is recovering from an Achilles tear, which eliminates him as a trade candidate, and they have an extra year to get extensions done with Gibbs and Campbell. That means we can assume LaPorta is the most likely of the four to be dealt, remote as those chances might be. Sending Sinnott to the Lions softens the blow just a tad, as he remains a relative unknown, albeit an intriguing one to me.
It's not hard to imagine why the Commanders would want LaPorta, especially with David Blough (who was on Detroit's practice squad LaPorta's rookie season) calling plays. Washington should still find a receiver or defensive help readily at No. 17.
Why would Detroit move up to seven? I suspect to acquire a foundational left tackle. That position is their biggest remaining worry, and their guy might not last until 17. It would be a big risk, but a potentially smart one financially and football-wise, and Brad Holmes has never shied away from making waves in Round 1.
Vikings receive:
- 2026 1st-round pick (No. 23 overall)
- 2026 2nd-round pick (No. 54 overall)
Eagles receive:
- 2026 1st-round pick (No. 18 overall)
- 2026 3rd-round pick (No. 82 overall)
- 2026 6th-round pick (No. 196 overall)
For Philadelphia, this trade-up suggestion doesn't come with one specific target. Maybe the Eagles want a pass rusher. Perhaps a pass catcher, with rumors that they'll trade A.J. Brown wafting in the wind. How about Lane Johnson's eventual replacement at right tackle? There's also a starting safety job open.
This would be more about opportunity for Howie Roseman, the ultimate opportunist on draft day. No GM has appeared as flexible during live draft action, ready to swing a blockbuster (e.g., giving the No. 18 overall pick to Tennessee in exchange for Brown in 2022) or make shorter jumps (going from No. 12 to No. 10 for DeVonta Smith in 2021, going from No. 10 to No. 9 for Jalen Carter in 2023) to get their guy. If a top-10 player on the Eagles' board slips into the teens, watch out. It has been a quieter offseason so far, and you just know Roseman is itching to strike. Philly has the draft capital and the motivation to move up.
The timing of the front-office shakeup in Minnesota means Rob Brzezinski will run this draft before the Vikings pick Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's full-time replacement. My guess is, the Vikings will certainly veer from how they've drafted in recent years. Brzezinski is a former Rick Spielman colleague, and Spielman was always game for a good move back. He did this multiple times as Vikings GM, and it wouldn't stun me if Brzezinski takes a similar approach. Play the hits, baby.
I suspect the Vikings don't view themselves as being one player away from contention, so this has the feel of a hit-it-down-the-fairway draft from Brzezinski. There are enough needs that sliding back gently in Round 1 and moving way up in Round 2 sounds like pretty solid business.
Jets receive:
- 2026 1st-round pick (No. 22 overall)
- 2026 2nd-round pick (No. 55 overall)
- 2026 4th-round pick (No. 123 overall)
- 2027 3rd-round pick
Chargers receive:
- 2026 2nd-round pick (No. 33 overall)
- 2026 2nd-round pick (No. 44 overall)
- 2026 4th-round pick (No. 103 overall)
- 2027 2nd-round pick
If the Jets want to draft Alabama QB Ty Simpson and address other weighty issues, they might have to trade back into Round 1 for a third first-rounder. They and the Cardinals figure to be the main bidders for Simpson, but New York can blow any team out of the water from a draft-position standpoint. Right now, the Jets own Nos. 2 and 16, and they're loaded for next year, too, possessing three first-rounders in 2027. Even if they must jump on Simpson earlier than they want, I think they'll still be anxious to land two more immediate contributors up high. Let's say they take Arvell Reese at No. 2; attacking receiver (or another defensive spot) makes sense, either at 16 or (if they draft Simpson there) at 22. Because the Jets lack a third-rounder this year, they send a second in 2027 over in this mock.
The Chargers could find similar players at 33 as they would at 22. There is additional value in having a chance to restack the board, let trade offers roll in and collect an extra night's sleep before Round 2 begins. The Bolts have just five picks currently, and their biggest needs (on both sides of the line, plus at pass rusher, receiver and DB) just happen to match this draft's relative strengths.
Chiefs receive:
- 2026 1st-round pick (No. 20 overall)
- 2026 5th-round pick (No. 152 overall)
- 2026 7th-round pick (No. 218 overall)
Cowboys receive:
- 2026 1st-round pick (No. 29 overall)
- 2026 3rd-round pick (No. 74 overall)
- 2026 5th-round pick (No. 148 overall)
- 2026 5th-round pick (No. 176 overall)
And now for something different: two teams with two first-round picks swinging a deal with one another. They might just be able to help each other out.
The Chiefs are in win-again mode. If they can come out of this draft with a pass rusher, at least one cornerback, a receiver and possibly a tackle -- in whatever order -- then I think they'd consider it a success. They'll cross one of those needs off with their first first-rounder.
That leaves big holes to address at Nos. 29 and 40, and I don't know that GM Brett Veach can wait that long. He's aggressive by nature, and several teams the Chiefs are competing against (the Chargers, Bills and Texans) are picking just ahead of them, along with other teams targeting the same positions Kansas City is. We could see runs at any of the Chiefs' biggest positions of need in the middle of Round 1. And with four top-100 picks to deal, they can be bold in making sure they don't miss out.
The Cowboys have eight selections, including those two first-rounders, but none between Nos. 20 and 92 overall, which is the supposed heart of this draft class, especially at their positions of need.
Dallas has taken on more of an apparent trade-down mentality in recent years, and because the Cowboys' biggest aim should arguably be scooping up as much defensive talent as possible, moving back would have real merit. After all the picks are swapped, Dallas would have five in the top 112 overall. Use four or more of those on defense and kickstart the rebuild.
Seahawks receive:
- 2026 2nd-round pick (No. 53 overall)
- 2026 3rd-round pick (No. 76 overall)
- 2026 5th-round pick (No. 161 overall)
- 2026 6th-round pick (No. 216 overall)
Steelers receive:
- 2026 1st-round pick (No. 32 overall)
The most memorable moment from last year's Round 1 was the Packers -- finally! -- drafting a wide receiver in front of the Green Bay fans. I'd love for something similar to happen this year in Pittsburgh, capping off Thursday night with some fireworks for the locals.
Let's say the Steelers go more blue-collar at No. 21, with something like an offensive lineman. Heck, the Yinzers would probably love that, especially if it's Penn State's Vega Ioane. But if they really wanna light up the crowd by Acrisure Stadium, why not swing back in for something sexier -- and very needed -- like a receiver? Pittsburgh is not a huge trade-up team traditionally, but it has the picks to make it work.
I'm even thinking specifically about Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson, who might be the most gifted of the WR bunch but could slip because of a lengthy injury history. Other gifted receivers also make sense, but if Tyson is somehow there, it should be a no-brainer. He screams Steelers receiver and McCarthy receiver and is exactly the separator they need. Tyson's history working with Hines Ward at ASU would render instant cred in Pittsburgh, too.
The Seahawks look very much like a trade-down team, in possession of just four selections, only one of which is on Day 3. Since John Schneider arrived in 2010, roughly two-thirds of Seattle's picks have come in Rounds 4-7. I suspect Schneider will attempt to rectify that dearth of late selections.
Seattle needs to add a back to help replace Kenneth Walker III, but doing so at 32 might be a bit rich for this draft class. No. 53 could be the sweet spot; in this case, the 'Hawks slide there while also adding three more picks in the process. Not bad, even if it might be a slight underpay for Pittsburgh.
